Summer Fishing 2026

Summer fishing. Another hot, rainless start to the season limiting the river fishing, instead I concentrated on some local ponds, targeting the carp & perch. Over the summer I landed 233 carp (including 27 doubles), 38 perch (to 3lb 2oz), 49 barbel, plus a few surprises. So here's a quick recap of the summer - written monthly as I went along...

April: Cracking straight on this year - a few trips to the Farm Pond during the river closed season. Frosty mornings and warm afternoons weren't idea conditions but I did land 3 carp in three sessions. Including a double fully scaled mirror - and a fantastic double grass carp - my first grassy! Plus a bunch of little roach, rudd, bream and perch.

May: The weather was gradually turning into summer - over the month I banked 43 carp, including 3 doubles (a hectic trip to a commerical accounting for 30). And my attention turned to stillwater perch - worms & livebaits producing 12 perch, four over 2lb, including my target three pounder, a 3lb 2oz new PB - plus a surprise three pound eel.

June: I continued my quest for stillwater perch, eels & carp, adding 28 carp, including three doubles - from three venues. The highlight being a double mirror from The Puddle - slowly starting to unlock this difficult venue! The river season opened in a heatwave - I banked a few chub but it was far too hot (the rivers were soon closed for fishing).

July: The heatwave continued, no rain in sight! No fishing on The Wye, but I did manage 3 days fishing the cool water of The Small River - 21 little barbel & a hard earned river carp finding the net. Continuing my carp quest I caught seven doubles across the three target ponds (98 carp added). And managed to find an elusive Puddle tench.

August: Drought - rain seems a distant memory - The Wye and many other rivers reaching a record low. The perch stopped feeding (at least for me) so it was a month just targeting carp. But with 38 carp landed, including 11 doubles to 15lb 4oz, and the 14lb 9oz ghostie I've been chasing around The Puddle all summer - I can't complain!

September: The weather started to cool, although still no real rain - the rivers are desperate for it. I added 23 more carp, including double #27 to finish up the Carp Challenge. A short trip to the Small River added 10 chub & 28 barbel. First 12 perch from The Lugg. And four pike from The Pits, including a double, to get a jump on the winter season.

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Winter is coming. It was an absolutely fantastic start to the season; carp challenge cracked (including the grass carp & big ghostie I really wanted) PLUS my 3lb+ perch. But the seasons have shifted - perch will still be on the radar, and now it's pike time. Let's hope the winter floods are minimal and a few big river crocs find the net...

The River Lugg

One idea for my next summer challenge is a River Lugg barbel (not an easy task). Having never fished The Lugg, Dave from the excellent blog From The Banks Of The Wye, very kindly offered to show me round. And doesn't it look good; gravels, deep bends and overhanging trees.

After a couple of hours Dave had to head off - but with 2 hours left on the clock I was going to stay and try and land my first Lugg fish. The target was a chub and freelined meat or bread the method. And the first fish to hit the breadflake - a perch! Was not expecting that.

But never one to miss an opportunity I switched to a little curl-tail lure and went wandering. Eleven more perch found the net - several around the pound mark. And I would have had more if I'd have had a softer rod and braid - missing and bumping as many as I caught.

I even managed to hook a little pike but it shook free at the net. All of which means it's on the radar this winter - hopefully catching a few predators while scouting for barbel next summer. Thanks Dave - I can't wait to get back on it - hopefully see you there.

Miles & Miles

Well I've finally worn through my fishing boots - it took 13 years and thousands of miles! Berghaus Hillmaster II Gtx - at £124 that works out at less than £10 per year - hell yeah I got some more!!

Escapee

Afternoon chucking a lure about and two lost jacks before the one above stayed on the hook. Then a proper pike hit my Storm Bleak, cracking fight before the first double of the season was in the net.

Then it went wrong; unhooked in the net I went and set the camera & scales up - returning just in time to see my net slide in and my prize escape. About 12lb - but no weight or photo - BUGGER!

Carp Challenge 2026

Target: 50 carp, including 10 doubles. With the hot weather hindering the barbel fishing I thought the Summer Challenge should be focused on carp. The 50 carp element was easily beaten with the help of a commerical carp pond, so the challenge became about the doubles.

	Carp:	233	(77 non-commerical)
	Doubles:	27	(to 15lb 4oz)

I landed carp from 4 venues (3 ponds & one from the Small River) and had doubles from all the ponds. Great fun (and I may add some more yet depending on the weather). Next summer I might have to put what I've learnt into practice & try and track down a twenty. Doubles below ↓

Clouded & Jacked

Twenty-six Clouded Yellow butterflies spotted - beautiful!


And a couple of jacks on lures to kick off the pike season - fantastic!